Bernie-backed Maine Senate candidate’s campaign implodes as disarrayed Democrats reach fever pitch – RedState
Maine’s primary won’t be held until June 9, 2026, but a civil war is already brewing in the state between Democrats, pitting establishment types against the more left-wing socialist wing, and, fortunately for the rest of us, much of that is playing out in the open.
As we reported in mid-October, Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D-) threw her hat in the ring even as questions were being raised among her Democratic colleagues about her age (77), her stamina and her ability to attract young voters into the fold.
In an attempt to allay these concerns, Mills said in an interview: “Honestly, I wouldn’t consider serving more than one term.” But this period is vital, and this moment in our history is urgent and very inconvenient. » But even political novices understand how these wishes usually come to fruition, once the person takes office and begins to enjoy the perks of the position and the power it brings.
SEE ALSO: Maine Governor Doubles Down on Transgender Policies After Trump Tiff and USDA Title IX Review
But Mills’s accession to the nomination is not a foregone conclusion. There are several competitors, with the biggest obstacle apparently being Bernie Sanders-backed oyster farmer Graham Platner, a military veteran.
Platner and his supporters, including Sanders, have touted him as a popular, “working-class” candidate who, despite his lack of political experience, can beat longtime Sen. Susan Collins (R). But, like Democratic Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones, he has been hit by a wave of self-inflicted scandals that focus primarily on his time as a commenter on Reddit, some dating back to 2013 and others as recent as 2021. (language warning):
Graham Platner, a Marine veteran turned oyster farmer and now Democratic Senate candidate in Maine, once called himself a “communist,” called “all” police officers bastards and said rural white Americans “are actually” racist and stupid, according to deleted social media posts reviewed by CNN’s KFile.
Graham Platner wrote on Reddit in 2021 that all cops are “bastards”, that he was a “communist”, and that white rural America is racist and stupid.
“I can honestly say that I’m the one who’s just being an asshole on the internet.”@Kdead @emsteck strike againhttps://t.co/BSMTqgCujd pic.twitter.com/oaTfRmKCen
-Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) October 16, 2025
.@sawyerloftus18 has @BangordaiLynews Platner’s other Reddit posts report.
He asked in 2013 why black people don’t tip and said victims of sexual assault should “take some responsibility…and not get so screwed.” »https://t.co/LgAnpNu8hN pic.twitter.com/1TgQaTPLZu
-Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) October 17, 2025
His responses to the Reddit controversy have consisted, in large part, of suggesting that he is now a different person. But on the black tipping post, here’s what he had to say:
SAVAGE.
Graham Platner says that while his response to many of his old Reddit posts was “oh my god,” he supports his question about “why don’t black people tip” because he was legitimately curious.
(He’s the guy they call a once-in-a-generation communicator. Too bad.) pic.twitter.com/RyDTezF912
-Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) October 21, 2025
Another controversy emerged, centering on a tattoo that a former acquaintance claimed Platner knowingly obtained. due to its alleged Nazi connotations:
“According to a person who associated with Platner when he lived in Washington, D.C., more than a decade ago, Platner specifically recognized that the tattoo was a Totenkopf, the “skull” symbol adopted by an infamous Nazi SS unit that guarded concentration camps…
–Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) October 21, 2025
The official explanation:
“We were very drunk, and we did what Marines do on the loose, and we decided to go get a tattoo.” https://t.co/t2nZevHR5O pic.twitter.com/cGn1izFHlo
– Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) October 21, 2025
🚨NEW: Maine Liberal Graham Platner’s Nazi Tattoo Revealed
This comes less than a week after his arrest:
➡️ Advocacy for political violence
➡️ Saying that black people don’t tip
➡️ Call all police officers “bastards”
➡️ Calling Maine lobstermen “pieces of shit”What’s next… pic.twitter.com/o7FMvmVpxo
– Senate Republicans (@NRSC) October 21, 2025
Needless to say, Sanders and some other Platner supporters are furious and pointing the finger at Majority Leader Sen. Schumer (D-NY) and the DSCC:
4/ Asked about Platner’s Nazi tattoo, Sanders attacked the “corrupt campaign finance system,” adding: “We don’t have enough candidates in this country to take office and fight for the working class.” »
– John Bresnahan (@bresreports) October 21, 2025
Thanks to Karen Heck, former mayor of Waterville. And thank you to the four hundred Mainers who overflowed from the Waterville VFW, for supporting me – and I promise I’ll have yours. pic.twitter.com/FNSf1Fbyhe
– Graham Platner for Senate (@grahamformaine) October 18, 2025
Should a person’s Internet posts, some of which are more than 10 years old, be used against them in a political campaign? Given the way Democrats dug through Brett Kavanaugh’s 1983 yearbook for dirt, I’d say such posts are legitimate, and it’s especially delightful that they’re being posted in the context of a primary campaign.
Infighting among Democrats never gets old. Keep going, y’all. Continue.
Editor’s Note: Schumer’s closure is here. Rather than putting the American people first, Chuck Schumer and radical Democrats forced a government shutdown on health care for illegal immigrants. They own that.
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